A Few Notes
by LittleBubblesBlue
Summary: Haunted by certain ice cream flavors and the realization that her love will never be reciprocated, Marinette finds herself comforted by the soft blue lilt of an all-too-familiar melody. As she starts to rebuild herself from scratch, there's no telling how soon she will again be swept away, lost in a sea of cerulean. But when the water calms and the chaos ends, who will she choose?
1. Detox

**Full Summary:**

Haunted by certain ice cream flavors and the realization that her love will never be reciprocated, Marinette finds herself comforted by the soft blue lilt of an all-too-familiar melody. As she starts to rebuild herself from scratch, there's no telling how soon she will again be swept away, lost in a sea of cerulean. Marinette can't help but build up walls, but they are clear and fragile as windowpanes. All it takes is a heartfelt tune to send her crashing through, diving, straight into the deep end.

What will happen when she begins to be pulled in two separate directions? Will Marinette accept a golden-edged lifesaver, or will she continue to dive? As chaos erupts, confusion ensues, and Hawkmoth still, irritatingly, continues to create akumas, Marinette is caught in a world of battles, the end prize being her sanity, her strength, and her heart.

Will Ladybug save the day? Or will she crumble under the pressure?

Stay tuned to find out.

* * *

"Orange and mint. Mint and Blackberry. Blackberry and orange. Orange and mint."

_Orange and mint._

Laughter bubbled from Marinette's lips as she lay in bed, the sound almost manic.

_Orange and mint. Orange and mint. Orange and mint._

"That doesn't even sound like a good combination!" she said, halfway to herself. But if Marinette really thought about it, mint and blackberry didn't seem very good either. What had Andre been thinking?

_Orange and mint. Orange and mint. Orange and mint. Orange and mint. Orange and mint. Orange and mi-_

Tikki cut off her thoughts, landing on the pillow next to Marinette's head with a worried expression on her tiny, spotted face.

"Marinette," the kwami said in her high, whispering voice, "Are you alright?"

The girl's head lolled to the side to face her, eyes gone languid and shiny. "Honestly? I don't know." A few tears ran down her face to create salt-stains on her pink cotton pillow. "Kagami's choosing love. _Love_. She said they're made for each other, that they're so similar, that they know each other so well. I pulled her away from him before they could kiss. Wasn't that horrible of me? They're in love."

"You aren't horrible, Mari-"

"Spare me, Tikki. I am. I chose Kagami instead of Chloe just so I could keep her away from Adrien. Funny how long that lasted." Marinette whimpered, closing her eyes. "She called it love."

Tikki gulped, for once unsure of what to say. She decided that the only thing she could do to offer solace was to nuzzle against Marinette's cheek, trying not to mind the splash of teardrops against the top of her miniature head.

And then Sabine called up the stairs:

"Marinette, you have a visitor!"

The girl sat up with a gasp, accidentally sending Tikki tumbling onto the covers. Rubbing frantically at her face, Marinette rushed to her trap door just as it opened to reveal the face of Luka Couffaine. The two stared at each other for a moment, her bleary-eyed and red, him sheepish and pale. Then Luka thrust a few flowers towards her and they both were sent into a fit of giggles.

Marinette accepted the slightly-mangled peonies with a small smile, taking the boy's hand and leading him up the final few steps into her room. She didn't remember telling him which flowers were her favorite.

Setting the flowers to the side, Marinette turned back to find Luka holding his arms wide open. She immediately settled into his chest, seeming to make a perfect fit and humming as he wrapped those same, strong arms around her. Out of tears for the moment, Marinette gave a sigh and absentmindedly wondered what Andre would choose for their shared flavors, and if the combination would be any better. She wondered, and she hoped.

They stood there together for a little while, sometimes swaying, sometimes standing still. Luka started to hum a tune that lit fireworks in Marinette's heart, a melody that she somehow recognized yet had never heard before. She looked up to see him smiling at her.

"I finished your song," he said with a glimmer in his eye, then faltered. "But I didn't bring my guitar."

"That's okay." Marinette smiled a true grin that felt glorious on her face. "You can bring it next time."

Luka's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he held her just a bit tighter, going back to resting his head on hers. She surprised him when she yawned.

He laughed. "Long day, huh?"

Marinette's reply was a soft murmur. "You have no idea."

"Want to fill me in?"

"Not yet."

"...Okay."

But what Luka didn't expect was for Marinette to actually fall asleep.

He noticed when her head fell a bit to the side, when her breathing became easier and more rhythmic and when she, honestly, became a bit heavier. The trek to her bed was easier than he had thought, Marinette slight in his arms. Luka nervously thumbed the rubber bands from her hair, unable to imagine she could be comfortable, and watched as her locks flowed down the pillow like midnight water.

The pink from her bed and from her painted walls seemed to stain Luka's cheeks as he realized he was close enough to see the tiny constellations that dotted the bridge of Marinette's nose, close enough still to feel her breath against his lips. He gulped, restraining himself and chastising his heart.

It was simple to bring the covers to Marinette's shoulders, but not so easy to leave. Luka settled on a controlled brush of his thumb against her cheek and, after a silent search, a scribbled note on her desk.

_To Marinette, _

_You kinda fell asleep. No worries, though. I hope you have sweet dreams, and that whatever's bothering you leaves you alone for now. I can't wait to play your song. Until next time, _

_Luka_

Tikki watched the blue-haired boy from her vantage point behind a drawer. Her feelings were mixed. She knew Marinette deserved all the love she could get, but the path of fate had become so twisted. It all seemed simple before.

Perhaps it couldn't be helped.

Marinette slept for hours, worn out as she was. Her dreams were enchanted with music. And when she awoke, she would be lying if the note didn't make her smile. In fact, it lit a spark in her chest.

Her room underwent a transformation. Adrien's magazine-cut pictures were taken down, going so far as to be placed in the recycling. Marinette got rid of her pull-down calendar and changed her computer background, laughing in hindsight at how crazy she had been, feeling lighter every passing minute. She stepped back, studying the brand new blank spaces and marveling as to how she would fill them, figuring it best to leave most of it alone for now.

Electric blue eyes danced behind her vision, making her smile. Taking Luka's note and a shiny red pin, Marinette secured a brand new wish to her wall, just beginning to fill the hole in her heart.


	2. Friends and Fiends

The peonies Marinette had put in a vase were just beginning to wilt. It had only been a few days, but the past week seemed like a lifetime.

As Ladybug, Marinette had quickly bested Miracle Queen, who turned out to not be so powerful after all. Having held onto the Dragon miraculous, Ladybug fused their powers and defeated her with the natural deterrent for bees: water. It was almost too good to be true. Hawkmoth retreated, leaving Marinette to say her goodbyes to Master Fu, and secretly, she also wished farewell to another: Adrien Agreste.

It wasn't easy. Because every time Marinette would scroll past pictures of him and Kagami together, she felt herself crack a little. Because she relished in Adrien's smile, the laughter in his eyes, but couldn't help but remember such tenderness was not meant for her. Because Kagami reserved his sunshine now, the light that drew her close. It was bittersweet.

When Marinette walked into the classroom that morning, all eyes were immediately drawn to her. People gawked at the sight of her hair, which she had left undone, the ebony strands brushing just past her shoulder blades. Inspired by Adrien and Kagami's reaction just days before, Marinette had made the decision that morning with more than a little smirk dawning on her face.

Her classmates flocked around her, leaving only Lila to scowl and grumble in the back of the room. The Italian certainly wasn't happy about the attention Marinette was receiving.

But Marinette was currently ignoring such an observation. Because Adrien was grinning at her.

There was a traitorous flutter in her chest, one that immediately made her feel guilty, images of Kagami and Luka appearing in her mind. Marinette gave thanks to her friends' showering compliments, shooting Adrien a smile of her own between the cacophony. His grin only became wider and she wondered just what was going on in his head.

There was no time to think about it now, because Miss Bustier was calling for them to take their seats and Alya was pulling at her arm. As everyone begrudgingly filed into their rows, Adrien turned back, still smiling, and said quietly:

"I told you your hair was beautiful."

Unable to do anything but laugh and mutter more thanks, Marinette shot Alya a silencing look as her friend nudged her shoulder, wanting to hear the story. It seemed getting over Adrien Agreste was going to be a lot harder than she had thought.

Class went by excruciatingly slow, and Alya grew antsier by the minute, poking Marinette, sliding hastily written notes across their desks, making silent faces as her friend ignored her requests for an explanation. Marinette kept mouthing the word "later," teetering on the edge. She knew Alya meant well, but having to sit and practically stare at the back of Adrien's head for hours was already stressful as it was.

Luka's melody for her played in the back of her mind. Marinette had yet to hear him perform it on the guitar, and every time her gaze landed back on Adrien she felt as if she were doing something wrong. Was she leading Luka on by being so friendly, while still attempting to quit pining over the blond? Marinette wished she could talk to Tikki, but the kwami was hidden in her purse and Miss Bustier would probably find it odd if she started whispering to the accessory. She sighed, rubbing her temple.

Despite her attempts to focus, Marinette started to get a headache from the stress. She quickly raised her hand, pausing Miss Bustier's lecture just long enough to ask to go to the restroom, and for once strode out of the classroom without stumbling. Her exhaustion was likely to blame.

"Sorry, Miss Bustier," Lila began after Marinette had left, "But may I go, too?"

Their teacher huffed. "Yes."

Adrien narrowed his eyes at the Italian's back, watching as she sashayed out the door. He was certain she was up to no good.

Marinette was leaning over the sink, splashing cold water under her eyes. She jumped when the bathroom door practically slammed open, and turned fast to find Lila advancing towards her. Too tired to feel even the slightest bit of fear, Marinette wiped her face and leaned back against the counter, saying, "What do you want?"

The Italian blinked, momentarily surprised, then her expression morphed into a sneer. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

"Well, sure," Marinette drawled, "But about what exactly?"

Lila growled, "I know what you were doing with that little stunt this morning, parading your hair around." She stepped closer. "Just what do you think that will accomplish? A few compliments aren't going to help you keep your popularity, or your friends."

"Is that what you're mad about?"

"Of course!" the girl snapped, getting in Marinette's face, "You can seek all the attention you want, but at the end of the day, I'm still going to win. Enjoy your friends, Miss Goody-two-shoes, while they last." Lila's threat came out in a hiss, her eyes narrowed and her complexion ruddy. She began to stalk back out of the bathroom, but stopped short at the sound of laughter.

Marinette was in fits. "Wo-wow. That was great," she laughed, wiping her eye, "Really. I'm very scared."

Lila was staring at her, aghast, then the blood rushed to her face as she lost her temper. "You think this is_ funny?"_ The Italian stormed up to Marinette, screaming, "I'm promising to ruin you, and you think it's_ funny? You should be scared."_ Lila moved to strike her, but, quick as lightning, Marinette held her wrist, her eyes cool and far too bright.

"You're the least of my problems right now, Lila Rossi," Marinette said through curving lips, careful not to leave any marks on the girl. "Save yourself the trouble and leave."

Lila stepped back, her eyes wide, then gathered enough composure to walk away. She turned back for a moment, a hand keeping the door ajar. "This _isn't_ over."

The moment the door closed, Marinette let out a breath and Tikki flew up to land in her palm.

"That was awesome, Marinette," the kwami squealed, "Just like Ladybug!"

"You think so?" she groaned, "I think my headache is worse. I'm so tired, it's impossible to feel anything at all."

Tikki zipped to nuzzle her cheek. "It was perfect. Total self-defense. I hope that nasty girl starts to leave you alone now."

Marinette sighed. "Me too."


	3. By the Way

It was difficult for Marinette to explain to Alya why Adrien had suddenly become so smiley around her. She went into detail over lunch, having invited her exasperated friend over to the bakery during their free period.

"Nothing drastic happened, Al." Marinette began, pushing a sandwich around her plate. "Him, Kagami, and I escaped the Bourgeois Anniversary and ended up running to Andre's. They asked me to choose the flavors, so I chose orange and mint. Their combination. And then I left."

Alya was staring at her like antennae was growing from her head. "You're telling me that, finally, you got the chance to have ice cream with Adrien and you chose their combination and then_ left?"_

"Well, Andre said that we couldn't have all three flavors, so-"

_"What? That's ridiculous!"_

Marinette rested her forehead in her hand, appearing downcast. "Alya, please, I already have a headache."

Her friend piped down, only to begin giving her the classic "I-feel-so-bad-for-you" look. Clumsy Marinette had screwed it up again. She hated feeling pitied.

She was Ladybug, for goodness sake.

"I met with Luka afterwards." An impish smile began growing on her face. "He was so sweet, he came over to give me flowers later. We must have hung out for hours."

Alya was once again moon-eyed. "When were you going to tell me any of this?"

"I'm telling you now."

Her friend began to faux-hyperventilate, fanning at her face with her hand. "My ship!" she cried, "It's sinking!"

Marinette rolled her eyes, laughing as she kneaded a knuckle against her temple. "Alya, the noise?"

"Sorry, but this is too much! All in one day, suddenly Adrien's dating Kagami-"

She winced.

"-And now you might start dating Luka! Wait, what kind of flowers did he get you?"

"Peonies."

"Oh. My. Gosh." Alya was gaping like a fish. "How did he know?"

"Maybe he asked Juleka," Marinette shrugged. She hadn't thought about it too much. Heck, he might have even taken a lucky guess. As Alya continued to blabber, Marinette picked delicate pieces off of her sandwich, knowing that if she didn't eat she'd be ravenous by dinnertime. Thinking it best, she opted to leave out the part where she fell asleep, lest her friend spontaneously combust. Some things were better left private.

The trip back to school was hard, Marinette's dread increasing as the building loomed closer and closer. Lila was somewhere in there, her threats hanging in the air, and it was safe to assume that despite her earlier front their feud was far from over. Her best friend was none the wiser of the event as they walked side-by-side. Marinette hadn't wanted to spoil their fun.

Ms. Mendeleiev regarded her students with stern eyes and straight lips, her no-nonsense attitude in stark contrast with Ms. Bustier. She put up with no one, and that meant Marinette would receive a much-needed break from Lila's antics, at least for the next few hours. Alya was still right by her side, and they both suffered through chemistry together, very careful not to be caught whispering to each other. Her friend's excitement was still on high, and as she asked more and more questions about Luka Marinette felt herself relax, her fixation on Adrien receding with the welcomed distraction.

"On a scale of one to ten, how much to you like him?" Alya whispered, holding back a giggle.

Marinette colored, hissing, "Alya! What kind of question is that?"

"Oooh, girl, you've got it bad," Her friend sighed. "And just when you stopped stuttering over you-know-who."

Sticking out her tongue in reply, Marinette returned her attention to the board, squinting in attempt to read Ms. Mendeleiev's jagged handwriting as she scribbled into her notebook. Smiling, she placed her pencil in the top-right corner of the page, absentmindedly beginning to doodle hearts, flowers, and the initials of two teenagers just beginning to fall for each other.

During a quick break, Marinette was still drawing when Lila brushed past her, jolting her arm and causing a dark line to streak across the page. The Italian immediately turned back, projecting a pair of wide, doe eyes.

"Oh! Sorry, Marinette!" Lila said, appearing contrite, a flicker of malice surfacing just long enough for her to see. "I must have _ruined_ your artwork." In a flash, she grabbed Marinette's pencil and hastily erased the line, picking up the notebook and practically presenting it to those standing nearby. Lila pointed at the hearts and initials, crying, "Look, everyone, aren't these drawings just so cute? LC and MDC..." she gasped, "Marinette, do you like _Luka Couffaine_?"

Marinette cringed, her face going scarlet as she stood from her chair. "Hey, can I have my notebook back now?"

But Lila wasn't listening. She turned to Adrien with a Cheshire smile. "See? How adorable!"

If she wasn't already burning up inside, Marinette was all the more hurt when the blond smiled as well, saying, "Yeah, sure." Glancing at her, Adrien retrieved the notebook from Lila's claws, flipping it closed and handing it back to the dark-haired girl as she shook like a leaf. Alya rested a hand on her shoulder, a glare fixated on her face as she stood to give Lila a piece of her mind.

Ms. Mendeleiev clapped her hands sharply. "Break's over. Everyone, sit down!"

Marinette's headache had returned, but this time, it was because she was holding back tears.

* * *

Chat Noir typically didn't visit civilians, but tonight he would be making an exception. The trip was easy and quick and soon he was standing on the rooftop of _Tom & Sabine's Boulangerie Patisserie_. The best bakery in Paris, and the home of a very special friend.

Marinette.

He could tell how upset she was earlier in class, by the tremble of her lip and the shine in her eyes. As Adrien—the supposed friend of Lila Rossi—he couldn't do much to help. But Chat Noir, the gallant hero and half-savior to Paris, France, had the whole world to offer. They could go anywhere, do anything, all in an effort to make her smile again.

But his princess, visible through her window, wasn't alone. And Chat cursed himself, because he should have guessed, should have known she would have called_ someone_ for comfort. He held back an instinctive growl, watching as Luka Couffaine wrapped his arms around Marinette for the second time in double the days.

Surprised by the feelings rising in his chest, Chat turned tail, fleeing from the soft pink warmth into the cold, bitter night.


	4. Holding Back

Marinette snuggled into Luka's shoulder, her face tear-streaked again. The pride she had gained from standing up to Lila had immediately dissipated after the fiasco with her notebook. A soft creak from the window drew her attention, but from her viewpoint, there was nothing in sight.

The boy pressed his face against her ear, his cheeks hot. Marinette was clinging to Luka like glue and he would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying it. There was quite a sense of dignity in being called to be the knight in shining armor, to be a source of help and comfort. It was nice for Luka to feel wanted.

And when Marinette retracted and pressed a sniffly kiss to his cheek, he was enamored by her tenfold.

Luka's black and white guitar was starting to weigh heavily on his back, and he saw the pause in their embrace as his chance to finally play her song. Switching the strap around, he positioned his fingers on the neck of his instrument, gazing at Marinette with soft eyes as he began to play.

She was enchanted. The notes, simple as they were, sent ripples of color out into the world and created waves within her soul. Marinette clasped her hands together, fighting to stand still as every nerve screamed at her to dance.

The song came to an end, and Luka had just enough time to swing his guitar out of the way before she vaulted into his arms.

"Good?" he murmured, grinning down at her.

"Yes," Marinette giggled, "Absolutely yes. It was beautiful." She closed her eyes with a sigh. "Thank you."

"Sure."

"No, really. Thanks. You're always here, helping me, comforting me. Holding me." She bit her lip. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Luka gulped. He hoped his response wouldn't ruin the moment. "Marinette..." His sentence wavered.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I know I said you didn't have to tell me anything if you didn't want to—and that still stands!" He squeezed her shoulders. "But I might be able to help you more if you told me why you're so upset."

Marinette pressed her lips together, her gazing sliding over to her closet, where she had hidden the Miracle Box underneath a pile of fabric. Between becoming the new Miraculous Guardian, trying to get over Adrien, and Lila's torture, she hadn't had a chance to relax for weeks. Or maybe it was months?

Perhaps even further, since her inherent stress had begun the moment she was chosen to be Ladybug.

Every last bit of her life tied together to create the emotional, stumbling, stressed-out Marinette she was that day. Sure, she could suffer the embarrassment of trying to explain to Luka exactly how Lila had executed her earlier taunts, but everything else was completely off limits. Truly, if it meant others were kept safe, there was no longer any single person in the world she could talk to. Because Master Fu was gone.

And there was no turning back.

Marinette felt her eyes welling up again, struggling to speak. "It was Lila. You've met her, right? We've been at war since the beginning of the school year, except its more like I'm chained to a post and she's shooting at me." She choked. "And there's so many other things that have been going wrong and I'm just not ready! I'm fourteen, for goodness sake! I'm just fourteen-"

She was cut off but a pair of hands on her cheeks. Luka caught her tears with his fingertips, quick to apologize. "I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything else, okay?"

It was all Marinette could do to force a nod, and when Luka pulled her back into his chest, she made no complaint.

His phone buzzed in his back pocket, signaling a call from Juleka. Luka reluctantly stepped away, leaving Marinette standing alone as he raised the device to his ear. A moment later, he turned back, more apology written on his face.

"My mom wants me home now," Luka said, his eyes downcast. "I wish I could stay."

"It's okay." Marinette brought up a smile. "You've already done so much. I'll text you?"

"Yeah." Giving her one last hug, Luka waved over his shoulder before heading downstairs, a million thoughts circling his mind. Most questions were without answers. "She's holding something back," he murmured as he mounted his bike, "I just wish I could help."

Fastening his stark yellow helmet under his neck, Luka revved his bike once, twice, three times, then sped into the late-night traffic of Paris, France.

A pair of cat-green eyes watched him go.

Despite himself, Chat Noir had paused in his retreat home, his stomach turning as he thought about how close Marinette and Luka had become.

...Why did he care?

Kagami was currently holding his attention as Adrien, and as Chat, he was still struggling with his love for Ladybug. Everything was mixed up inside and he was all the more confused by the angry, antagonizing pitter of his heart that went off at the sight of Marinette with Luka. She was a very good friend to him, _only_ a friend, so why was Chat feeling so blue, so betrayed by his own emotions? He sought to find out.

There she was, surrounded in pink light. Marinette was standing alone, her arms folded across her chest, seeming small and lusterless. One tap at her window gained her attention, and their eyes met with a magnetic snap that could not be explained. She graciously let him in, a smile planted on her face that became instantly familiar. It was the same as his when posing for a fashion shot.

Chat hated that grin. Hated that Luka had been able to comfort her first, only to leave her just as empty as she was before. He knew the secret behind her smile. He knew that, somehow, Marinette was feeling broken.

After all, he was exactly the same.

"What brings you here, Chat? I don't think I've been akumatized." Marinette made a subtle emphasis on "think," likely not even noticing herself. Her arms were back in front of her chest again, as if she was guarding herself, putting up a wall.

Chat shook his head, putting on a smile of his own. "I know that, but I didn't get the chance to-" _To comfort you at school. To hug you first. To stand up for you._ "To get to know you, Miss Multimouse."

"Oh," she laughed, a tinny sound that was wrong coming from her lips. Marinette had all but forgotten her ruse with the Miraculous, in which her civilian self had supposedly helped Chat and Ladybug. All in an effort to keep her identity, and the lives of others, safe. "Well, you're meeting me now." She brushed a hand over her cheek and past her nose, trying to clean herself up.

"Is this a bad time?" Chat blinked.

"No," Marinette sniffed, still smiling. "Not at all."


	5. Secrets

"I wanted to thank you for helping out the other day. We didn't get much time to chat," Chat Noir said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Marinette's mouth quirked up a tiny bit. "Was that a pun?"

"Wha-Oh!" He laughed despite himself. "I guess it was." Chat had made her smile. A small one, yes, but a real smile all the same.

"Is this why I wasn't supposed to reveal my identity?" Marinette giggled a bit. "So I wouldn't get late-night visits from a certain alley cat?"

He feigned distress, placing a hand over his heart. "You wound me, Princess-uh-" Chat's eyes were wide, the nickname having slipped from his lips. Was he even allowed to call her that anymore?

Marinette merely laughed him off, some color returning to her face. "Silly cat."

Seeing her face up close allowed Chat to view the ruddy flush that covered Marinette's cheekbones and nose, her eyes shot through with crimson and her complexion pale. He knew she had been crying—it was obvious during school—but he hadn't begun to imagine her carrying on late into the night. Some friend he was.

"If you don't mind me asking," Chat began, fiddling with the cuffs of his black leather gloves, "Are you alright?"

Whatever grin had appeared on Marinette's face immediately disappeared and he cursed himself for being the cause.

"Well, if you have to ask, it must be obvious I'm not." She clasped her hands, her voice getting softer and softer. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Chat stepped forward, reaching to take hold of her wrist. It was thin in his palm, the width of three fingers at the most, and the color of rose-tinted snow. He was careful, gentle, only trying to get her attention.

"You're talking to a superhero, here." Chat caught Marinette's gaze. "It's half my job to listen. And in my experience, talking is the first step to healing."

Boy, he sounded like a therapist or something. But while Ladybug worked to restore the city, Chat was the one to speak with the akuma victims. He knew that talking helped.

Marinette shrank away. "I-I don't know..."

"Princess." Chat squeezed her hand. "Please." Guiding her over to her soft pink chaise, he watched as she perched on the cushion, half-facing him. Marinette's fingers were forming knots in her lap as she fought for what to say.

"It's just Chat," she thought, "I can trust him, but I still can't tell him everything. Ladybug must be kept secret." Half her stress was because of the mask, the one thing she couldn't talk about. Once again, she would have to spill about Lila, but at least there was no risk with Chat. He wouldn't care about her crush on Luka or Adrien.

Marinette bit her lip to contain her emotions. She wanted to at least get through a couple sentences without crying.

Chat was just waiting, in his patient, mild-tempered way.

"For the past few days," she began, "I've been trying to get over a crush I've had for over a year."

_That_ sparked the superhero's interest, but he remained silent.

"The boy I li-like has a girl-girlfriend now." Darn it. Marinette was already struggling. "They seem really happy together, and it's not like I could ever confess anyway, s-so-" She gulped. "-so yeah. And then Luka comes in, an-and he's just being really nice to me and comforting me and saying all these sweet things, and then Lila catches me doodling our names together and-" Marinette covered her face with her hands, her complexion going scarlet.

"-And she showed it to the whole class, including the guy I still like! And he smiled, like it was no big deal, further proving that he has never liked me as more than a friend at all."

Marinette was gasping for breath as her heart beat erratically and more tears threatened to pour down her face. She was so tired of crying.

Chat scooped her hand from the chaise, squeezing it. His voice was soft. "Who's the guy you're trying to get over?"

"Adrien." Her lips were trembling. "Adrien Agreste."

His eyes blew wide enough to pop out of his mask. Him? But he wasn't dating anybo-

_Oh. Oooooh._

Marinette thought Adrien was dating Kagami.

Chat was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt his hand being squeezed back.

"Thanks," Marinette said, letting out a breath, "I actually feel much better."

He smiled, saying he was glad, but thought, "That makes one of us."

_She likes me._ Liked_ me?_

Adrien was laying in bed. It was half past midnight, and as Plagg snored from the other side of the pillow, Adrien couldn't help but lay wide-awake. One moment his heart was jumping for joy in his chest, the next it was cold and lifeless, particularly when the image of Luka riding away on his bike annoyingly poked its way to the forefront of his mind.

He and Marinette had just made the final step into becoming good friends. It had been only yesterday she was a stuttering, awkward mess around him, and as endearing as it was, Adrien much preferred their new, easy conversation. With the new information he had now been accidentally given, Adrien soon realized that the lack of her stuttering might have been because her crush on him was beginning to fade away into stern platonic-ness. Part of him was okay with that, if it meant he could talk to her.

The other part was screaming, "No! No!_ No!"_

Adrien didn't know, couldn't have known. Marinette had said herself she had never been able to confess. Still, what would he have done if she had?

Didn't he love Ladybug?

Wasn't he expected to be friendly with Kagami, if only for family appearances?

Grinding his teeth, Adrien slapped his palms to his face, the sharp noise punctuated by Plagg's loud, grumbling disapproval.


	6. Hindsight

Adrien was nervous.

Gorilla was eyeing him in the rear mirror every once in a while as he fiddled with the strap of his schoolbag, their trip to Francois-Dupont drawing closer and closer to the end. The bodyguard was ever silent, but his mute presence made it all the more easy to tell when something was wrong with his charge, as he was always able to listen and watch. And there was something wrong with Adrien.

The boy's entire personality was off that morning. Normally, he would be overjoyed to be going to school, to be able to spend time with friends and learn publicly like every other child. But Adrien hadn't been acting as if he wanted to go to school at all. He was drawing into himself, closed off, trapped inside his own head.

_Marinette likes me_.

Adrien took a deep breath and turned to stare out the window, dropping his hands to his lap. Poking out cautiously from Adrien's jacket, Plagg turned up to look at him. The kwami saw his holder purse his lips, indecision shining in his eyes.

Then, Adrien shook his head and smiled. The car stopped in front of Dupont's wide, concrete steps, and he slipped out the door. Nino was waiting for him, and Alya was standing right behind him.

And next to her was Marinette.

She looked okay, despite how upset she had been the night before. Her blue eyes were shining again, she was laughing, smacking Alya on the arm over one joke or another. Chat must have really made an impression on her.

Of course, when Adrien got closer, all of that disappeared.

He hid his grin, blushing a bit himself as Marinette visibly gulped and waved hello.

"Hi, Marinette," Adrien choked out. He said hi every morning, seeing as he and Marinette were finally at the stage of 'good friends.' But it was hard to ignore Alya and Nino as they bit back a collective gasp. "What?"

The duo shook their heads, but as they all began heading up the steps, Nino whispered in his ear. "Dude, are you feeling okay?"

Adrien was confused. "Yeah, actually. Why?"

"Cause you're, like,_ beaming_." His friend grinned. "I've never seen you smile so much, and at Marinette, of all people."

"Why shouldn't I smile at Mari?" Adrien blinked, all innocence. Nino merely raised a brow and laughed.

"Whatever, man."

He was still smiling in history, in physics, in mathematics. Adrien could feel Marinette's gaze on his back, her expression likely confused and maybe even worried. It couldn't be helped. He knew she liked him and, if her confession to Chat had been any indication, any attempts at her getting over him were currently failing. Adrien felt giddy inside.

Still, what about Ladybug?

Whatever ruled the universe must have been reading his thoughts, or maybe Hawkmoth was, because the city akuma alert began blaring through Paris. The City of Lights flashed to a garish red, surreal in the light of the afternoon sun. A new monster was roaming the streets, the neighborhoods, and one couldn't be sure if they were safe anywhere.

It was time to go to work.

Deftly escaping the crowd of students as they headed for cover in the school basement, Adrien transformed in the nearest janitor's closet. Chat Noir was ready to fight by his lady's side.

Mystarot was dressed in black, her mask equally dark and crystal jewelry hanging from every limb. She floated through the sky, holding close an illustrated pack of tarot cards. With a twitch of her hand, the cards flew out of the box to dance in midair, their order changing according to her whim.

The villain smiled through pitch-colored lips. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will be here very, very soon."

Marinette had just called on her spots when she felt herself being pulled out of the school and into the city. A shout came from beside her, and she turned to find her partner flying close behind. The heroes were halted just in front of their new enemy.

Ladybug struggled against her invisible bonds, shouting, "Let us go!"

Mystarot cracked another grin. "Okay."

Chat and Ladybug screamed in unison as they were suddenly released and began to plummet toward the ground. Thinking quickly, Ladybug unleashed her yo-yo, grabbing Chat's hand and latching on to a nearby building just before they became Parisian pancakes. Crepes? It didn't matter.

"Are you okay?" Ladybug asked as she panted.

"Purr-fect!" Chat replied, patting himself down. "Quick as usual, M'lady."

Hawkmoth was shouting as his charge, who answered curtly. "Lighten up, old man," Mystarot snarled, "I'll have my way with them, and then you'll have your precious Miraculous. As soon as I cast the future of Paris, we'll see if anyone ever calls me a fake again!"

Ladybug gulped, staring at the villain. "She can not only see the future, but_ makes_ it happen. The akuma has to be in those cards, but how are we supposed to even get close? If she wanted, she could force us to hand over our Miraculous!"

Chat placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure it won't come to that. She wants to draw this out, which gives us time to think of a plan. You'll come up with something! I believe in you, Bugaboo."

Instead of rolling her eyes like usual, Ladybug caught his gaze and smiled, reaching up to squeeze his hand. "Thanks, Chat."

"Um," he floundered, "No-no problem."


End file.
